Hand therapy kit and electronic guide

Abstract

A hand therapy kit includes a housing having a lid that is expandable from a folded position to an unfolded position to expose a working surface on an inside of the lid. An elastic cord is attached at two or more anchor points on the working surface to define at least one gap for receiving a finger. The finger can be therapeutically exercised by moving from a first position proximal to the working surface to a second position distal to the working surface. The hand therapy kit can also include removable hand therapy modules, including a therapeutic tracking glove and/or a pressure sensor ball.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A hand therapy kit comprising:
 a housing that includes a lid, wherein said lid is expandable from a folded configuration to an unfolded configuration to expose a working surface on an inside of said lid; 
 an elastic cord attached to said working surface, said elastic cord defining a first gap between a first anchor point and a second anchor point on said working surface, said first gap sized to receive a first finger, said elastic cord defining a second gap between a third anchor point and a fourth anchor point on said working surface, said second gap sized to receive a second finger, wherein said elastic cord is configured to provide a first positive resistance as said first finger moves from a first position proximal to said working surface to a second position distal to said working surface and said elastic cord is configured to provide a second positive resistance as said second finger moves from said first position to said second position; and 
 a plurality of removable hand therapy modules disposed in said housing, said plurality of hand therapy modules including:
 a therapeutic elastic band module, said therapeutic elastic band module comprising a plurality of therapeutic elastic bands having different resistances for progressively exercising a hand; 
 a wrap module comprising a stretchable fabric adapted to wrap around said first finger to apply a therapeutic pressure thereto; and 
 a therapeutic tracking glove comprising:
 a plurality of rotational position sensors attached at positions on fingers of said therapeutic tracking glove that correspond to respective joints of a user's finger; and 
 a plurality of rods, each rod extending between adjacent rotational positional sensors and in mechanical communication therewith. 
 
 
 
     
     
       2. The hand therapy kit of  claim 1 , wherein a rotation of a user's finger joint causes at least one of the rods extending from the corresponding rotational position sensor to change position with respect to the rotational position sensor, thereby causing at least a portion of the rotational positional position sensor to rotate. 
     
     
       3. The hand therapy kit of  claim 1 , wherein the therapeutic tracking glove further comprises:
 a housing disposed on a wrist of the therapeutic tracking glove; 
 a microprocessor disposed in the housing, the microprocessor in electrical communication with the rotational position sensors to receive data therefrom; and 
 a communication interface for sending the data to an external device. 
 
     
     
       4. The hand therapy kit of  claim 3 , wherein the therapeutic tracking glove further comprises:
 a plurality of elastic bands, each elastic band extending from the housing to a respective fingertip of the therapeutic tracking glove; and 
 a plurality of sensors disposed in the housing, each sensor configured to measure a position of a corresponding elastic band, 
 wherein the position of each elastic band changes when the user's hand opens or closes. 
 
     
     
       5. The hand therapy kit of  claim 3 , wherein the therapeutic tracking glove further comprises:
 an elastic band extending from the housing to palm of the therapeutic tracking glove; and 
 a plurality of sensors disposed in the housing, each sensor configured to measure a position of a corresponding elastic band, 
 wherein the position of the elastic band changes when the user's wrist extends or retracts. 
 
     
     
       6. The hand therapy kit of  claim 3 , wherein the microprocessor sends the data to an application program running on a user's mobile device. 
     
     
       7. The hand therapy kit of  claim 1 , wherein the hand therapy modules further include:
 a pressure sensor ball comprising:
 a compressible ball; 
 an inner spherical body disposed in a center of the compressible ball; and 
 a plurality of radial force sensors distributed across an exterior surface of the inner spherical body. 
 
 
     
     
       8. The hand therapy kit of  claim 7 , wherein each radial force sensor is aligned with an axis that extends through a center of the compressible ball. 
     
     
       9. The hand therapy kit of  claim 8 , wherein a compression of a region of the compressible ball is sensed by the radial force sensors that are aligned with the region. 
     
     
       10. The hand therapy kit of  claim 7 , wherein the radial force sensors comprise push-pin sensors. 
     
     
       11. The hand therapy kit of  claim 7 , wherein the compressible ball further comprises:
 a microprocessor disposed in the inner spherical body, the microprocessor in electrical communication with the radial force sensors to receive data therefrom; and 
 a wireless communication interface for sending the data to an external device. 
 
     
     
       12. A hand therapy kit comprising:
 a housing that includes a lid, wherein said lid is expandable from a folded configuration to an unfolded configuration to expose a working surface on an inside of said lid; 
 an elastic cord attached to said working surface, said elastic cord defining a first gap between a first anchor point and a second anchor point on said working surface, said first gap sized to receive a first finger, said elastic cord defining a second gap between a third anchor point and a fourth anchor point on said working surface, said second gap sized to receive a second finger, wherein said elastic cord is configured to provide a first positive resistance as said first finger moves from a first position proximal to said working surface to a second position distal to said working surface and said elastic cord is configured to provide a second positive resistance as said second finger moves from said first position to said second position; and 
 a plurality of removable hand therapy modules disposed in said housing, said plurality of hand therapy modules including:
 a therapeutic elastic band module, said therapeutic elastic band module comprising a plurality of therapeutic elastic bands having different resistances for progressively exercising a hand; 
 a wrap module comprising a stretchable fabric adapted to wrap around said first finger to apply a therapeutic pressure thereto; and 
 a pressure sensor ball comprising:
 a compressible ball; 
 an inner spherical body disposed in a center of the compressible ball; and 
 a plurality of radial force sensors distributed across an exterior surface of the inner spherical body. 
 
 
 
     
     
       13. The hand therapy kit of  claim 12 , wherein each radial force sensor is aligned with an axis that extends through a center of the compressible ball. 
     
     
       14. The hand therapy kit of  claim 13 , wherein a compression of a region of the compressible ball is sensed by the radial force sensors that are aligned with the region. 
     
     
       15. The hand therapy kit of  claim 12 , wherein the radial force sensors comprise push-pin sensors. 
     
     
       16. The hand therapy kit of  claim 12 , wherein the pressure sensor ball further comprises:
 a microprocessor disposed in the inner spherical body, the microprocessor in electrical communication with the radial force sensors to receive data therefrom; and 
 a wireless communication interface for sending the data to an external device.